Sports ramblings…with a Yankees bias!

Results tagged ‘ Texas ’

The Yankees are playing an elimination game, so of course, I need something to take my mind off the game! ;)

Maybe we’ll see the new White Sox manager run toward the Texas Rangers owner’s box in a fit of rage…

I was surprised to hear the announcement that former Yankees third baseman Robin Ventura had been named the manager of the Chicago White Sox. I think Robin’s a great guy and he should be a good manager, but he’s definitely the anti-Ozzie Guillen. I thought that Jerry Reinsdorf and company would go for a more experienced manager. Personally, Terry Francona would be at the top of my list but I am sure that Reinsdorf had good reasons for taking a chance with Robin.

I have not done any research to see what Ventura has been up to in recent years but hopefully he’s prepared for the rigors of managing in a big city with high expectations. If the Chicago Cubs somehow managed to land GM Theo Epstein and/or Terry Francona, it would put pressure on Ventura to produce quickly in the Battle of the Windy City.

Now you see them, now you don’t…

I was equally surprised to see the quick exit from the play-offs by the Tampa Bay Rays. After they successfully caught the Boston Red Sox in September and captured the Wild Card, I did think they were a team of destiny. They certainly have the starting pitching to contend, but it was not meant to be. Red Sox fans were so hoping for the ouster of the Yankees and Rays on the same night. Fortunately, they were disappointed. I really hope the Yankees get the chance to play the Texas Rangers in the ALCS to, hopefully, avenge the play-off loss last year. Texas has an incredible offensive machine, but they are not unbeatable.

Weren’t the Cardinals left for dead just a month or so ago?…

It is interesting that all division series, except Rangers-Rays, have gone the full 5 games. I don’t expect the St. Louis Cardinals to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, but they’ve certainly shown they can play on the same field. The Phillies remain the team I think will win the World Series, but I’d be foolish to underestimate the heart of the Cardinals. The Arizona Diamondbacks were able to dig out of a 0-2 hole against the Brewers, but I don’t really expect them to beat the Brewers in Milwaukee on Friday night. I think the NLCS will feature the Phillies and the Brewers, with the Phils advancing to the World Series.

The Vikings are dead…

Football has definitely not been fun this year as my team, the Minnesota Vikings, have lost all four games to open the season. Every game has been close, but the Vikings simply do not know either how to win or how to close out games. Is that the coach or the players? I really want to see Head Coach Leslie Frazier succeed, but I am not a big fan of QB Donovan McNabb (he will never again approach the success he enjoyed in Philly). Also, I was not a fan of Mike Singletary when he was coach of the San Francisco 49ers and now he has Leslie’s ear as his chief confidant and close friend. Perhaps Frazier would be better off without Singletary and with Christian Ponder as the starting QB…

Thanks for my iPod…

The Yankees and Detroit Tigers are getting ready to play Game 5 so I’d better cut this short. But before I go, I’d like to say my condolences to the family of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. His passing this week was difficult news to hear. Somehow it seems as though we’ve lost a great friend and the world will never be quite the same. He is missed by so many and rightfully so. When he stepped down as the CEO of Apple in late August, I didn’t realize that he was so close to the end. Nevertheless, he lived his life his way and on his own terms. He left a legacy for all of us to learn from. If we could accomplish 2% of what he did, we’d be wildly successful…

I was a pessimist in spring training…a non-believer. I didn’t think the Yankees could compete with the Boston Red Sox with their current roster after the off-season spurning by pitcher Cliff Lee. At the time, the Yankees were trying to piece together a rotation that was void of both Lee and Andy Pettitte, who opted to retire.

At the trading deadline, the Yankees were silent while the Red Sox were busy acquiring infielder Mike Aviles from the Kansas City Royals and pitcher Erik Bedard from the Seattle Mariners.

Yet, on the morning of August 16th, the Yankees found themselves in a first place tie with the Boston Red Sox. Not bad for a team that has been rated as inferior to the Red Sox by so many, including me. It is no secret that the Red Sox have owned the Yankees in their head-to-head match-up’s but of course that doesn’t mean a thing in October. Still, if the Yankees had been able to at least play .500 ball against the Sox, they’d have a fairly comfortable lead in the division. That’s probably where Lee and Pettitte would have made a difference, but who knows, perhaps they could have been even worse.

Despite the team’s success, I still do not like the prospects for October against the Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. Like the Red Sox, the Rangers were able to add some quality arms to the bullpen when they picked up Mike Adams from the San Diego Padres and Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles. I do not like moves for the sake of simply making a move so perhaps the Yankees did the best thing by standing pat. But the team still has too many shortcomings that can be exposed in a short series. Part of me pulls for a Bronx return by Hideki Matsui who has cleared waivers for the Oakland A’s. Matsui has shown there is still ‘clutch’ in his bat and used in the right spots, he could be a valuable weapon. The team is counting very heavily on the return of Alex Rodriguez, but they need a contingency plan. The DH spot has been weak, for the most part, with Jorge Posada and Eric Chavez. Granted, Posada had a recent 6 RBI game that that’s clearly an aberration at this point of his career. I haven’t seen too many timely hits off his bat this season.

GM Brian Cashman is making the usual comments that he does not envision any trading activity this month, but of course, you never really know what is up his sleeve. So much of it has to do with posturing and trying to make the opposition believe that you aren’t desperate.

What have you done for me lately…

As for Posada, I am ready to cut ties. He has been a long and faithful Yankee, and certainly a very passionate one. However, I do not see a role on the 2012 Yankees for him. At this point, he has become a liability, and if he wishes to extend his career, I am okay with it being in another uniform. Hopefully, he doesn’t decide to go someplace like Boston, but I’d hope that he would make a respectful decision for the Yankees fans. All things considered, I wish that he’d simply hang up the catcher’s mitt at the end of the season and call it a career but I don’t think that’s going to happen. If I have to pick between Posada and Jesus Montero on the roster next year, Montero wins hands down. Sorry, Jorge, but I am looking forward to your participation on Old Timer’s Day.

A quiet major milestone even if it was a booming blast…

Congratulations to Jim Thome for slugging his 600th home run against the Detroit Tigers last night. It was an interesting stat that he was the first player to hit both his 599th and 600th home runs in the same game, and no one had ever hit his 600th in the next at-bat after 599. Babe Ruth was the closest, needing two at-bat’s. Thome’s march to 600 was one of the quietest milestone marches that I’ve experienced, and I even call Minneapolis home these days. I’ve never thought of him as a superstar, but he has consistently been a home run producer for many years. In my mind, he was never top shelf talent but he was always in the next tier and his career has spanned longer than many top shelf players. Does that qualify for entry to the Hall of Fame? It will be an interesting debate. He is certainly not a first ballot shoo-in, but he’ll probably find his way eventually.

Time to see my guys…

The Yankees will be coming to the Twin Cities this week, so I’ll be at one of the games this weekend. During my short time in Minneapolis, I have come to appreciate Target Field. I am a fan of many of the newer ballparks, and I like some better than others. But Target Field has a good feel to it, and I like its downtown location. I intend to wear my Yankees cap, which might not be the best idea when walking downtown, but I am sure that I won’t be alone…

Waiting for the opportunity…

As a lifelong fan of the Minnesota Vikings, it was tough a few years ago when I had to adjust to the sight of longtime enemy Brett Favre in purple. I actually did enjoy his first year, although the second one was a disappointment. But it is probably harder for me to accept the sight of Donovan McNabb in purple. Okay, I wasn’t one of those guys who booed when the Philadelphia Eagles selected McNabb in the draft over RB Ricky Williams, but I was never overly impressed with McNabb in his Philly days. I even lived in the area during his final years with the Eagles, and perhaps my impression of McNabb is tainted by the bitterness that Eagles fans held toward him. Yes, he won, but he never won the games that truly counted. It’s a team sport so you can’t hang total blame on him, but he is just not someone that I’ve ever been able to embrace as one of the game’s best QB’s. Maybe he will change my opinion of him. I definitely think that he has something to prove after his disastrous year in Washington, and I won’t be surprised if he rises to the challenge.

I am a fan of QB Christian Ponder. There’s no doubt that I wanted the team to draft Jake Locker, but it was not meant to be so Ponder is certainly the next best thing. Intellectually speaking, I think Ponder is at the head of the class and I look forward to seeing how he grasps the Vikings playbook. But, there’s no way that I think he is ready to start this year, particularly with the lockout shortened off-season. I think that Aaron Rodgers benefited greatly by sitting on the bench for those first few years, and the same holds true with Ponder. McNabb gives the Vikings the flexibility to allow Ponder to grow into the position…unless McNabb shows that Washington wasn’t a fluke. I am sure that we’ll see #7 line up behind center at some point in the regular season, but until then, I’ll be content with McNabb. Well, until he proves otherwise…

There were two Vikings that I really hated to see leave as free agents. WR Sidney Rice was one of my favorites, and he is now in Seattle with former Vikings QB Tavaris Jackson. I am not sure that Michael Jenkins or Bernard Berrian can be anything close to what Rice was, but I will say that WR Percy Harvin has been one of my favorite Vikings, if not the favorite. Now that his migraines appear to be behind him, I am looking forward to seeing if he can take it to the next level. The guy clearly has the talent and the heart to succeed. The other loss was LB Ben Leber who signed with the St. Louis Rams. But with Leber’s loss, it does create an opportunity for Erin Henderson to step into his shoes. I really like what I’ve seen from Erin, and it is a great story if he starts next to his brother, middle linebacker E.J. Henderson. But regardless of what the final roster looks like, I feel very confident in the decisions being made by head coach Leslie Frazier. I don’t want to diss former head coach Brad Childress, but this is the most confident that I’ve felt about a Vikings head coach in a very long time. I can never recall a time where I was content with the heads of both the Yankees and the Vikings but I am very comfortable with both Joe Girardi and Frazier. Now, let’s see if it equates to a few championships…

Congratulations to Bruce Bochy and the World Champion San Francisco Giants! It was an improbable series win (at least from the perspective at spring training). It clearly showed the power of pitching and why the Yankees MUST throw $$$ at Cliff Lee…

Nevertheless, tonight belongs to the Giants. They proved they are the champions of baseball and finally, the city of San Francisco has a baseball world championship to add to its long history of accomplishments.

I am glad that the Yankees moved quickly to re-sign
Manager Joe Girardi.It’s not like
Girardi was going anywhere, but the team has much greater things to be
concerned about than negotiating with Girardi.Once the Chicago Cubs named Mike Quade as their permanent manager, there
was really no question that Girardi would be back in New York.Of course, to listen to Girardi, Chicago was
never an option, but I have to believe at some level it was.

From everything I’ve read, Girardi was more like
the 2008 version in September than the 2009 version that was more relaxed and a
better players manager.Was it
uncertainty about his own future or the sluggish play of his team?Who knows, but whatever the cause, Girardi
has the comfort of knowing he should be able to call Yankee Stadium home for
the next 3 years.

For me, I had held a glimmer of hope that somehow
Don Mattingly could get the job but of course that was nixed the moment the Los
Angeles Dodgers made Donnie Baseball their manager following the departure of
Joe Torre.Outside of Mattingly, there
really was no other manager that I would have preferred to see hold the Yankees
job than Girardi.Well, maybe Terry
Francona, but rumor has it that he already has a job.

2011 will be a very challenging year for the
Yankees.They have an albatross or two
to deal with.It’s tough to sink over
$80 million into a pitcher that was a nightmare for most of the season (A.J.
Burnett).I saw a recent fan poll that
actually showed Yankee fans would prefer Javier Vazquez over Burnett.That’s bad.The first order of business for the new pitching coach, whenever he is
named, will be to restore Burnett to the pitcher he is capable of being.Also, decisions have to be made regarding the
Core, primarily Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.Assuming DJ re-signs with the Yanks, he’ll continue to play at short but
will he lead off?Based on comments at
Girardi’s press conference, it would appear that this is being heavily
reconsidered (and rightfully so).As
Posada, the time is clearly now to move on to the next great Yankees catcher,
Jesus Montero.

Noah K. Murray/The Star Ledger

There are many hard decisions to be made between
now and spring training so hopefully Girardi and GM Brian Cashman are prepared
to make the right decisions for the best interests of the 2011 New York
Yankees.

So far, the World Series has been all San Francisco
Giants.It was clear they had superior
pitching in the NLCS but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at their play in the
first two games.I’ve always been a fan
of Matt Cain and he certainly has raised his game to a higher level during this
post-season.With a 2 games to none
lead, the series now shifts to Arlington, Texas.I am sure that we’ll see a much different
Rangers team in their home park, but if the Giants can win a game or two on the
road, I really like their chances to win the World Series.

I spent 14 years in Dallas and used to go to
Arlington to watch the Rangers play quite often.You’d think that I would pull for the Rangers
but as an American League fan, it is hard to pull for anyone other than the
Yankees.Plus, many of the times that I’d
go to Arlington, it was to see the Yankees so I was consistently cheering
against the Rangers.Meanwhile, I’ve
always been a fan of the Giants in the National League even though I didn’t
move to the Bay Area until about 5 years ago.So, given my current geographic location, it wasn’t hard to pull for the
Giants.

Finally, I just don’t think there is any way that
Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress pulls the plug on Brett Favre’s
consecutive games playing streak this Sunday against the New England
Patriots.While the best decision is to
probably start Tavaris Jackson, it’s a no-win situation for Childress if he
pulls Favre.So, win or lose, expect to
see #4 on the field when the Vikings take the ball.

Tom Olmscheid/AP

As for the Vikings-Patriots game, I have made yet
another wager with Julia of Julia’s Rants.The loser of the game must write a blog about the highlights of the opposing
team’s history.I know, the Patriots
have a more illustrious history than the Vikings, but I personally will like
reading about Joe Kapp, Fran Tarkenton and the others who made the Vikes such a
great success in the late 60’s and 70’s.

Zuma Press

I know, I still owe Julia for another lost wager at
the end of the baseball season.I will
try to make good this weekend.

Caffalo/NY Daily News

Finally, here is a great video of an awesome Giants fan who just can’t stop believin’…

It seems weird that the Yankees season is over with
the World Series set to begin tonight.When I was a kid growing up in Iowa, there was a cartoonist who worked
for The Des Moines Register that used to say it wasn’t an official World Series
unless the Yankees were in it.I have
always believed those words!;)

Seriously, it is interesting that we finally have a
World Series with two teams that do not have a history of World Series success.For the Texas Rangers, they’ve never been to
the World Series, and for the Giants, they’ve never won a World Series since
they moved to San Francisco although they have made a couple of trips.Given that I live in the Bay Area and the
Giants have generally been my preferred NL team over the years, I’ll be pulling
for them tonight as they embark on Game 1 against the Rangers.

There are no active Giants players with ties to the Yankees
organization, however, the Yankees do have a presence through the coaching
staff and back office.The two most
notable individuals are GM Brian Sabean who started in the
Yankees front office working for George Steinbrenner and pitching coach Dave Righetti.I always chuckle when I think of Rags as a
pitching coach.Please don’t get me
wrong.I think he’s a terrific coach and
he was a great player, however, when he was young…before he “made it” to the
big leagues for good, he used to struggle with his control.So, he was the guy who needed such intensive
coaching and now he is the master.I
lived in Dallas for 14 years and during many of those years, Rags was the
Yankees closer.So, I have so many
memories of Rags closing out games in Arlington, Texas.So, in many ways, he’ll be returning to an
area that he is well familiar with and has enjoyed success.Hopefully, he’ll be able to pass on that
success to Tim Lincecum and company.

Some of the other names in the Giants organization
who have past connections to the Yankees:

Roberto Kelly, First Base
Coach

I remember being upset when the Yankees traded
Kelly to the Cincinnati Reds for Paul O’Neill.Ha!I think that trade worked out
well for the Yanks.Sorry Roberto…

Hensley Meulens, Batting Coach

I remember when “Bam Bam” was a much-hyped
youngster with so much promise.He never
achieved success with the Yanks and was eventually sold to a team in Japan.

Henry Cotto, Coordinator,
Baserunning

Cotto was a bench player for the Yankees during the
lean years (1985 to 1987).I think of
him more as a Chicago Cub although he only played one year for them
(1984).He had an undistinguished career
but he definitely could run.

Lee Smith, Coordinator,
Pitching

Lee is obviously better known for his great years
with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, but he was with the Yankees in
1993 toward the end of his career.He
was a late season pickup and did well during his short stint even though the
Yankees did not that year.

J.T. Snow, Special Assistant

Snow, the son of former Los Angeles Rams great Jack
Snow, was originally drafted by the Yankees.But he was traded in the deal that brought Jim Abbott to New York.He had some productive years for the Angels
but he achieved his greatest success with the Giants.

Dick Tidrow, Vice President,
Player Personnel

Tidrow is definitely one of the more notable
Yankees as he played a very prominent role in the Yankees bullpen during their
two championships in the late 70’s.As a
kid growing up, he and Sparky Lyle were the faces of the bullpen.

Fred Stanley, Director, Player
Development

Another player from those World Championship clubs
of 1977 and 1978, “Chicken” backed up shortstop Bucky Dent and was a valued
reserve during those years.

Joe Lefebvre, Senior Adviser,
Player Personnel

Drafted by the Yankees, he only played for the team
one year (1980) before moving on to the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia
Phillies.However, he did play a part in
helping the Yankees win the AL East Division that year.I remember 1980 as the year the Yankees won
103 games but lost to the Kansas City Royals in the play-offs resulting in the
firing of late manager Dick Howser (back when George had a very itchy trigger
finger when it came to managers).

This “prayer” was making its rounds on email
yesterday.I do not know who the author
is:

Our Father who art inSan Francisco, baseball be thy
game.

Thy will be done when theWorld Seriesis won on the field,

as well as in the bullpen. Give us this day our
bat and glove,

and forgive us our errors, as we forgive those who home run against us. Lead us not into defeat, but help us beat the
Rangers…with the help of theBeard, the Buster and
theDirty Dozen.

Amen.

Here’s hoping the former Yankees enjoy a World
Series championship in 2010!

As for the Yankees, they are apparently negotiating
a new 3-year deal with manager Joe Girardi.I am glad to see that they are working to resolve Girardi’s situation
quickly so they can focus on the critical needs of the team.GM Brian Cashman acted very swiftly in
announcing that pitching coach Dave Eiland would not return.I have no issues with the decision.The Yankees starting pitching underperformed
this year, and A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez were the biggest reasons
why.I also think that Phil Hughes was
capable of more than he showed down the stretch.I am not sure who’d be the best candidate to
replace Eiland.Hey, I’d love to see
Dave Righetti back in New York but unfortunately he’s not going anywhere.Hopefully, Cashman and Girardi will be very
selective about who they chose for the very important role.

I saw this morning that CC Sabathia will be having
minor knee surgery.While this procedure
does not sound serious, I hope it is not indicative of the start of future
problems associated with CC’s weight.This does show how critical it is for the Yankees to secure another ace
for the staff.Like everyone else, I am
strongly in favor of signing free agent to be Cliff Lee, however, I am very
dismayed at the reports of the poor treatment his wife received from the
Yankees fans during the ALCS at Yankee Stadium.That type of abuse is completely unacceptable and it is an embarrassment
to be associated with those types of Yankee “fans”.I use the term “fans” very loosely because
those idiots are very poor representation of “fans”.

Hopefully, this does not keep the Lee’s from
considering an offer to join the Yankees.I know it will be a tough, uphill battle to sign Lee as it is, and they
certainly did not need ill-treatment by the fans to give Mrs. Lee a strong
reason for not wanting to come to New York.

I want the core Yankees to return (Derek Jeter,
Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte).However, I do not feel that the Yankees should overpay to convince them
to stay.So, if it is time to sever
ties, I am prepared as I feel the money would be better served to help bring
younger, more talented (at this stage of their careers) to New York to help
pursue a championship in 2011.Of the
core, I think re-signing Mariano Rivera is the most vital.He is still performing at a top level,
although the Yankees would be well served to re-sign Kerry Wood if
possible.I don’t want Derek Jeter to
leave but at some point, he is going to start becoming a liability at
short.I’d rather see the team cut ties
before rather than after that happens.I
want Andy Pettitte to return, but I would not want to see high expectations
placed on him.Put him in the #4 or #5
spot in the rotation and be satisfied with the results if he decides to
return.I didn’t mention the last core
member, Jorge Posada, since he is still under contract.However, I am ready for a change at
catcher.Just like the Boston Red Sox
moved Jason Varitek to a reserve role, the Yankees should do the same with
Jorge.At 39, he is past his prime at
the catching position and now is the time for the highly heralded Jesus Montero
if he can show in spring training that he is ready for the job.If the Yankees do sign Cliff Lee, it would be
great to see Lee pitching to Montero since Montero would have been the cost of
a trade with Seattle to get Lee before they reneged and moved him to Texas.

As for the Hot Stove League rumors, I have to admit
that I am somewhat intrigued by the potential of bringing Jayson Werth to New
York to play right field.As much as I
like Nick Swisher, he is a streaky hitter and hasn’t shown the clutch bat in
October like Werth has.Of course, I
would love to have Carl Crawford in left, but I think right is a greater
need.I fully expect Brett Gardner to
continue to improve.Granted, he is no
Carl Crawford, but his speed is very disruptive on the bases and he showed a
much better ability to get on base this year.

Brian Cashman definitely has his work cut out for
him this off-season.It should be
interesting…

The Yankees were outplayed and outpitched by an
inferior Texas Rangers squad and it was very disappointing to watch.The truth is these Yankees have looked very
subpar since August.Their ALDS victory
over the Minnesota Twins was most likely a fluke given their dominance of the
Twins in recent years.The Yankee bats
were silent during the ALCS with the most visible being Alex Rodriguez.But I really think, as many do, the primary
problem was the lack of consistent and quality pitching.

Antonelli/NY Daily News

CC Sabathia had a few starts where he looked like
an ace, but he had more starts that looked very average.Unlike last year, there wasn’t a sense of
invincibility when CC took the mound…at least not like when Cliff Lee takes the
hill for the Rangers or Tim Lincecum for the San Francisco Giants or Roy
Halladay for the Philadelphia Phillies.

A.J. Burnett was an absolute disaster this
year.I am not sure what happened.He pitched so great for the Yankees in 2009
and for the Toronto Blue Jays the year before.But this year, he was clearly gasoline on the fire.He needs to re-dedicate himself to his craft
this off-season to see if he can dig deep to re-find his talent.

I thought Andy Pettitte did a very good job this
year, but there was obviously much down time with the injury that put him on
the DL.At his age, there is no doubt
that we’ve seen the best of Andy.If
Andy doesn’t decide to retire in the off-season and returns to the Yankees next
year, I’d prefer they make him the #4 or #5 starter and accept whatever you can
get from him.

Phil Hughes is a primary key for future
success.He is another guy that needs to
find a way to take his talent to the next level.He has the stuff so he needs to find a way to
become the pitcher he is capable of becoming.An 18-game winner, it’s been said that he was probably a 12-13 game
winner on any other team.That’s
probably true.As the pitcher who took
the loss that sent the Yankees home for the season, I hope that he is able to
harness the frustration into a desire to come back stronger than ever next
year.

The trade for Javier Vazquez was clearly a
mistake.As much as I wanted Javy to
succeed in the Bronx, I was fearful when I first heard the Yankees had
re-acquired him.Those fears turned out
to be justified.A free agent, there is
no way the Yankees will attempt to bring him back.

I am not quite sure what the future holds, but the
Yankees need to find a way to improve the pitching staff.The obvious target is Rangers ace Cliff Lee,
a free agent at the end of the season.However, the Rangers will be making a very hard run at him after the
World Series and of course he will have a sentimental attachment to being part
of a World Series club.So, I’d have to
believe, at this point, that the Rangers have the advantage over the Yankees in
signing Lee.

Antonelli/NY Daily News

Another potential target is Kansas City Royals
starter Zach Greinke, who the Royals intend to move.Any way you slice it, GM Brian Cashman has his
work cut out for him this off-season if he intends to bring the Yankees back to
a championship-caliber club.Age is not
the Yankees friend and they cannot win again if they remain status quo.

As for the World Series, I still think the
Philadelphia Phillies are the favorite.I realize they are down 3 games to 2 to the San Francisco Giants, a
situation the Yankees failed to overcome.But the difference is the Phillies pitching staff and the fact that the
remaining games are in Philly.Don’t get
me wrong, I’d love to see the San Francisco Giants close out the series and
advance.I live in the Bay Area and many
of my friends are Giants fans.I am also
a fan of Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti and would like to see him working
with the Giants pitching staff in the World Series.So, I’ll be cheering for the Giants but I am
fully aware the NLCS is far from over.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Congratulations to the Texas Rangers for reaching
their first World Series.I lived in
Dallas for 14 years and it was clearly a town dominated by the Cowboys.The Rangers were never successful during my
years there and the fans didn’t have the passion for the team that I saw
watching the ALCS this year.So, it is
clear that the baseball fans in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex are starving
for a winner and now they have their chance.I never became fond of the Rangers while living there, perhaps because I
always went to the games when the Yankees were in town so I was constantly
rooting against them.However, my son is
a Rangers fan so he’s excited.When he
was about 2 or 3 years old, we were in a restaurant near the ballpark in
Arlington, Texas after a Rangers game.Nolan Ryan was pitching for the Rangers at the time, and he happened to
be in the same restaurant with his family.There weren’t too many people in the restaurant and my son was wearing a
Rangers cap we had bought at the game.My
son walked over to Nolan and asked for his autograph.Nolan took my son’s hat and signed his name
on the bill.He still has that hat today
and it has been a prized possession.It
solidified the Rangers as my son’s team of choice despite my numerous attempts
to make him a Yankees fan.

Antonelli/NY Daily News

Well, now that baseball is over for me, I’ll have
to look to my other teams for hope.However, the prospects do not look good at this point.The Minnesota Vikings are struggling at 2-3
and have to play the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots in the next two
weeks.Brett Favre has not been healthy
and is starting to look like a 41-year-old quarterback, not to mention the
recent text messages that have been a distraction.As for the San Jose Sharks, the season is
early but they just won their first game in the United States after a few
consecutive losses following the opening game victory in Stockholm.I think they’ll be there at the end but the
competition in the West is tough this year.I always have the Los Angeles Lakers but they’ll have their share of
challenges this year too.

With their backs to the wall, the Yankees rebounded
on Wednesday with a 7-2 victory over Texas to bring the series to a 3-2
advantage for the Rangers.

Sipkin/NY Daily News

It can be argued that the Rangers played less than
their best to ensure clinching on their home turf, but the Yankees clearly
played with a purpose and showed the heart that has been missing for the last
few months.

The last time to overcome a 3 games to 1 deficit
was the Boston Red Sox in their World Series winning year of 2007.They also erased a 3-to-0 deficit in the 2004
ALCS against the Yankees enroute to their first championship since 1918.So, it can be done, but the Yankees face a
long road that would end with Cliff Lee staring them down from the mound
(assuming they can get past Colby Lewis on Friday night).CC Sabathia is done for the series, except
perhaps in a relief role.

Sipkin/NY Daily News

The Yankees will also be without Mark Teixeira who
has been lost for the duration of the play-offs due to a hamstring injury.The acquisition of Lance Berkman now looms
very large as he’ll be asked to cover first.It will be good to get both his bat and that of Marcus Thames into the
lineup at the same time, but it will still be a step down from Teixeira.With Robinson Cano moving to the third spot
in the order, hopefully, he’ll continue his hot hitting and maybe give A-Rod a
spark.

Realistically, I do not think the Yankees will be
able to win two games in Texas.But, of
course, stranger things have happened.The Yankees certainly have the talent and potential to succeed.

Win or lose, I am proud of today’s effort by the
Yankees.I am glad that they didn’t roll
over and let the Rangers celebrate on Yankee Stadium ground.Now, if the Rangers win, it’ll be on their
own turf, in front of their own fans.It
will be a long plane flight back to New York, but that’s better than watching
the visitors pouring champagne in your house.

Simmons/NY Daily News

Here’s hoping the Yankees can keep up the intensity
and continue playing with the same heart they showed today.A 3-game winning streak.Is that asking too much?…

Simmons/NY Daily News

I was surprised to see that the Chicago Cubs have
already named their manager, removing the interim tag from manager Mike
Quade.I really thought the Cubs would
try to woo Joe Girardi back to Chicago.Or at the very least, they’d give Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg a shot.By hiring Quade, it kind of reminds me of how
the Yankees bypassed Don Mattingly to hire Joe Girardi when Joe Torre
left.Circumstances were different, but
the outcome will most likely be the same…the departure of the legend to another
team.I am proud of Mattingly and he’ll
always be one of my favorite Yankees, but it’s still tough watching him in a
Dodgers uniform.Don’t get me wrong, I
will be rooting for him to succeed but it will still sting that he doesn’t wear
the pinstripes anymore.On the same
token, it will be hard for Cubs fans to see Sandberg get an opportunity with
another team.

Speaking of Girardi, the Cubs decision virtually
guarantees that he’ll be back as Yankees manager (assuming the team and the
manager are able to come to terms on a new deal).So much for leverage…

I didn’t really expect the Yankees to go into Texas
and sweep the Rangers, so all things considered, I’ll take a split in the ALCS as the teams
make their way to the Bronx…

The Yankees took the first game in dramatic fashion
as they overcame a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5, thanks to a five run 8th
inning.It was a disappointing
performance by CC Sabathia at a time when you expect nothing but perfection
from your ace.

As bad as Sabathia was, Phil Hughes was worse in
Game 2 as the Yankees fell to the Rangers, 7-2.The Rangers will now have Cliff Lee available in Games 3 and 7 if
necessary.It definitely gives the
Rangers an advantage, but if the Yankees can start pitching like they are
capable of, they can neutralize the advantage.

Sipkin/NY Daily News

As the San Francisco Giants showed in Game 1 of the NLCS, great pitching
can beat great pitching (Tim Lincecum over Roy Halladay).For Game 3, the Yankees need for Andy
Pettitte to keep the game close until they can get Cliff Lee out of the
game.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

If they lose, the Rangers are almost certain to
face CC Sabathia rather than A.J. Burnett in Game 4.Given the short outing in Game 1, it’s
possible that Sabathia may be a go for Game 4 regardless of what happens in
Game 3 against Lee.The Yankees will
want to posture the rotation for a potential Sabathia-Lee showdown in Game 7 if
the series goes that far.I know that
Joe Girardi is saying that Sabathia is still the scheduled Game 5 starter, but
I really think he’ll announce a change.I know Andy is a big-game pitcher, but I’d rather have Sabathia in an ‘all
or nothing’ situation.

The Yankees also need to work on the bats.In yesterday’s loss, the Yankees squandered
multiple scoring opportunities as they left 12 men on base.They were 1-for-11 with men in scoring
position.That’s definitely not the way
to ensure a return trip to the World Series.

So, after an 8-game win streak, the Yankees have
failed against the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx and the Texas Rangers in
Arlington, Texas.For the last six
games, they have a 1-5 record to show for it.That’s not exactly the way to win friends and influence enemies.Now the Yanks head for St. Petersburg, FL, to
face the second place Tampa Bay Rays who stand only .5 games behind the Yankees
in the AL East Standings.The Rays are
confident, and even the Boston Red Sox have to have a renewed sense they can
catch the Yankees.

Boston Globe

GM Brian Cashman knew that the starting pitching
would be the Yankees’ Achilles Heel, and of course, had he been successful in
capturing Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners, things would look very
differently in the AL East standings.Even Ted Lilly could have made a difference.So, the Yanks prepare for their AL East
showdown with the Rays, who figure to have the advantage due to their starting
pitching.

James Borchuk/St. Petersburg Times

Game 1 will feature CC Sabathia against fellow Cy
Young candidate David Price in what should be a marquee pitching duel.The Yankees need a victory, and this game is probably
the single most important game of the season if the Yanks want to win the
division.It is not the end of the world
if they lose, but the Rays have a chance to make a huge statement in this
series.They are a very good team, no
doubt, and they do have the horses to capture the AL East flag.Watching the Rockies win their 10th
in a row tonight thanks to ex-Yankee Jason Giambi is proof positive that
someone, anyone, can stand up and deliver.Now is the time for those unsung heroes of the 2010 Yankees to shine.

Kim Klement/US Presswire

Of all the missed opportunities this weekend, the
one that sticks out most in my mind is when the Yankees had the bases loaded in
the top of the 13th inning on Saturday night.The Yankees catcher was Chad Moeller and he
ended the inning with no runs in a game that the Rangers won in the bottom of
the inning.A healthy Jorge Posada could
have made such a difference, but it really exposed that the Yankees don’t have
anything behind Francisco Cervelli until Jesus Montero and/or Austin Romine are
ready for the major leagues.

Oh well, all things considered, the Yankees are in
great shape on September 12th.Regardless of whether they go into the play-offs as AL East Champions or
the Wild Card, they’ll be ready for October baseball.Andy Pettitte should be back in the rotation
and even if he’s not in the starting rotation, Javier Vazquez should be a high
quality long man.

The Yankees just need to keep doing what they’ve
been doing since April.The team is good
and they need to understand that and continue to persevere.This is the time that makes champions…

A day after losing a game in walk-off fashion to
the Texas Rangers, Mariano Rivera bounced back to save the Yankees’ 7-6 comeback
victory over the Rangers.So many
relievers have a tough time “forgetting yesterday”, but not Mo.After allowing a lead-off triple to Elvis
Andrus, he retired the next three batters to strand Andrus at third with what
would have been the tying run.

When Austin Kearns bounced into a double play with
the bases loaded to end the top half of the 8th inning with the
score 6-5 Texas, I thought the Yankees may have exhausted their chances for
victory.However, or rather , fortunately,
Marcus Thames proved me wrong.He
homered in the 8th, and drove in the eventual winning run in the 9th.Not bad for a guy who gets mentioned as an
afterthought when you name off Yankee players.

AP

I am a bit disappointed with Kearns, who has failed to hit in key
situations since his arrival in the Bronx.But to his credit, he did make a great shoestring catch in the 9th
in helping Mo to the save.

The other two recent acquisitions, Kerry Wood and
Lance Berkman, both played roles in Wednesday’s win.Wood pitched the 7th and 8th
innings in scoreless relief to pick up his first win as a Yankee.Berkman drove in a run in the 7th
on a ground rule double as the Yankees chipped away at what once had been a 6-1
Texas lead.Berkman, it should be noted,
was the only Yankees starter who did not strike out on a night when 17 Yankees
did, tying the dubious franchise record.Nick Swisher, in particular, was an awful 0-for-5, with 4 SO’s.

Javier Vazquez, who had recently been diagnosed
with a “dead arm”, was very ineffective in the match-up against the almost
Yankee, Cliff Lee.Javy was out after 4 1/3
innings after he gave up 6 runs.I am
not quite sure what it will take to get Javy back to the level of pitching he
was at last month, but he needs to improve if the Yankees intend to hold off
the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox.

Matthew Emmons/US Presswire

Meanwhile, Cliff Lee was solid in striking out 11 Yankees although the Yankees were able to score against him late as he gave up a total of 4 runs through 6 1/3 innings.I remain hopeful that Lee will be the Yankees prime target in the free agent market after the season.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Yankees were fortunate to get a win out of a
two game series that looked like it would be a sweep for Texas.The Rays lost to the Detroit Tigers, but the
Boston Red Sox steamrolled over the team that gave the Yankees and Rays so much
trouble, the Toronto Blue Jays.For all
of the key injuries Boston has suffered this year, they are within striking
distance at just 5 games back.

Mark Blinch/Reuters

The series in Texas was tough.It started with news that hot-hitting Mark
Teixeira would remain in New York with his wife, who gave birth to their third
child, William Charles.I hated to see
the removal of Teixeira’s bat from the lineup, and it was compounded when
Robinson Cano couldn’t start the first game of the series due to illness
(although he did later pinch hit and entered the game as a replacement at 2nd
late in the game despite his weakened condition).Jorge Posada also missed the game, so those
were three huge voids in the lineup.

The Yankees now head for Kansas City for a
four-game set against the Royals.Teixeira will rejoin the team, and should be in the lineup tonight.On paper, tonight’s game looks like a
mismatch (CC Sabathia versus Bruce Chen), however, the Yankees have not been
playing great ball lately.They missed a
great opportunity to bury both the Rays the Red Sox and couldn’t do it.Hopefully, the team can catch fire soon and
put the pressure on the other teams instead of carrying the weight on their own
shoulders.

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